


It's a deal!

by ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish



Series: Ree [4]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Conversations, Deal with a Devil, F/M, Flirting, Getting to Know Each Other, Long Shot, To Be Continued
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 14:38:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12134628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish/pseuds/ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish
Summary: Ree wakes up to her first day in Goodneighbor. Hancock seems to be willing helping her out, but what's in it for him? The story of Ree & Hancock continues.





	It's a deal!

Even though I mainly saw nightmares, I still managed to sleep until noon. I must've been exhausted. Nobody came to wake me up either, so I guess they just let me sleep as long as I wanted. I had a hazy memory of the door opening and closing once, but I wasn't sure if I just dreamed it. 

I had fallen asleep fully clothed, so I just did my best by making myself presentable – combing the hair and trying to organize everything that had happened in my head. I wasn't a prisoner anymore. I was safe, or at least safer than earlier. Holly was my main concern right now. 

I opened the door and took a peek outside. As Fahrenheit had told me, there was a guard sitting on a bench and his gun was resting on an end table. When I cautiously stepped in the hallway, he turned his ghoul face at me and I winced a little. It still took some time to get used to that. He looked at me for a moment, then nodded and went back reading something. 

When I returned from the toilet I walked past the guard towards the Hancock's office. The doors were open, but I still hesitated when I saw him talking with two armed guys. When I was just about to step back, he turned around and saw me. Instantly the anger on his face disappeared. 

”Hey there, Sunshine. I was about to check on you, to see if you're still breathin'.” Hancock smiled at me. Even if he was a ghoul, he had a certain type of charm. Maybe it was his straightforward attitude, plus what Fahrenheit had told me yesterday. 

”Good morning”, I replied and could instantly feel my cheeks starting to blush. This guy had seen me fully naked. He had seen me crying and being a complete wreck. I really didn't want to think about that, but now my mind was fully awake and had had time to process just about everything. 

”Um, I'm sorry if I interrupted. I'll get back to my room.” 

Hancock just waved his hand and sat behind his desk. 

”No worries, we were done anyway. You can go now, boys. And you can come in.” 

The men walked out and shut the doors behind them, and I was left with Hancock looking at me. I averted his eyes and looked around the room. 

”I take that you got some sleep. How are you feeling now?” 

”Much better. Thank you.” I bit my lip. ”Have you... talked with the men you captured yesterday?” 

Hancock's smile vanished. He stood up, went around the desk and leaned on it before answering. 

”Yeah. I don't want to get you involved any more than you already are, so I'll just tell you about it briefly. As I already suspected, Goodneighbor isn't the only location where they do auctions. They also have some direct ”customers” as they liked to say it. What comes down to your friend...” 

I became alert. 

”Ree, listen. She got sold to someone important. So there's very little traces or clues about their real identity. I might know a person who might be able to help, but I wouldn't bet on it.” 

”Who?” I almost jumped at him. ”Please, tell me. I know if Holly was standing here and I would be missing, she would do anything to find me. Because I-” 

Pausing, I looked around the room to be sure we were alone. Hancock made a gesture towards the sofa, and I sat down. I made some quick thinking, because Holly had strictly forbade me to tell anyone that I was a vault dweller. But I felt I needed to tell everything to this man, in order to get him help me. 

”You remember how I said that she's everything I got here? Well, I meant it literally. She found me soon after I got out from vault 111. I've lived with her ever since, that's about six months now.” 

Hancock looked at me, but he wasn't surprised. 

”When someone these days says that they haven't ever seen intelligent ghoul, they're either blind or vault dwellers. So you were born and raised in a vault? Must've been hell of a boring time spending your youth.” 

”Actually... For me, it felt more like spending an hour there,” I said quietly. 

I began telling my story, about how we entered the vault and were showed to our cocoons. 

”So... You have lived in the current world for only six months and before that you lived your life before the giant boom went off? Damn. I think I'll need a drink.” 

He poured two glasses of what I could see was whisky, and offered me the other one. I didn't really drink strong alcohol, but now I took it. Though I only took a small sip, as Hancock had already emptied his. 

I told him about how Holly had found me, half dead and starving, and how she took me in and taught me to survive. 

”I'd be long dead if it wouldn't be for her. I had some basic knowledge of surviving in the wilderness from everything I read in the past, but it didn't really help when everything has changed so much.” 

”Even some of the people who are familiar with how the world is today don't survive in it”, he nodded, ”I understand how important she is to you. Listen. I know a guy in Diamond City. He's a detective and I'd imagine he'd be interested in this.” 

I jumped up, splashing the whisky in my hands. 

”Really?” I probably let the hope shine in my eyes too brightly, because Hancock looked away. ”When could we leave? How far is it?” 

”It's not far, but we ghouls aren't really welcomed there. Also for me it would be just another walk, but you'd need some training, and means to protect yourself before going out. If you've lived outside the city for all this time, you need to be prepared.” 

In my anxiousness I practically dropped the glass on to the coffee table and leaped closer to him. Right now, I didn't care how I desperate I looked or if was I rubbing him the wrong way. 

”We should get there as soon as possible! The longer we wait the colder the traces get”, I exclaimed. 

”Well, you're not wrong. But I'm not letting you outside these walls until you prove to me you can survive out there.” Hancock narrowed his eyes. ”I didn't save you so you could walk around as a Deathclaw's bait.” 

I opened my mouth, but shut it again. I hated to admit it, but he was right. I was still vulnerable as a new born baby. Holly had given me some training, but for the two first months I had spent with her I had been too weak from the long cryogenic stasis and starvation to really be up for it. I wanted to get stronger, for her and for me. I was tired of being weak. 

”Anyway, I left a message to his assistant. Apparently he's currently out on some other case, but should be back in few days. It's better for him to come to us. In the meantime, you're staying here and we'll teach you to defend yourself.” 

I felt the frustration rising in me again and trying to cover that I turned my back at him for a while. He didn't say anything. From the sound of a lighter and the smell of smoke I knew he had lit a cigar. I slowly turned back and saw him watching me. I remembered him stabbing White Fedora. The walking towards me with a cloak and asking if I was hurt. Suddenly I had lost all the words and didn't know what to say. 

Hancock breathed out and the smoke came rolling from his mouth and nose, or the place where the nose had been. He smiled at me. The smile was slightly crooked. 

”My charisma getting at you yet?” 

”What?” I stared at him. 

He laughed and for a moment he sounded like choking. 

”Don't worry. A mere habit of mine.” He stumped the cigar and hold out his hand to me. ”I'll make a deal with you. You promise to train yourself and stay alive. I promise to help you finding your friend and personally watch over your training.” 

I didn't take his hand, not yet.

”That sounds like only I'll benefit for it one way or another”, I stared right into his eyes. 

For a split second he looked like taken aback, but then he smiled even wider and I probably blushed a bit, since he walked to stand almost unbearably close to me. I didn't step back. With him standing right in front of me I noticed that I only reached to his chin. I was also close enough to see his damaged skin better, but it wasn't really off-putting. He was right before – he had an undeniable charisma, brought to him by his boldness, confidence and the attitude of someone who doesn't care what someone thought about him. 

”You had something in your mind, then? Maybe offering some... Warmth to a poor, lonely ghoul?” He bent himself just enough that he could see straight to my eyes. 

I braced myself. He might've saved me, but he also felt dangerous. 

”You saved me just in hopes for that?” I returned his question with another and tried to make my voice leveled. 

He straightened his back laughing, and I let myself relax just a bit. 

”Honestly, I'm happy you called me out on that one. You've never seen a ghoul before, but yet you are talking to one as your equal. That tells me more than enough. If you really want to do something for me in return, then how about this; when you're done with your training and we've found your friend, you'll work as my contact to Diamond City. I sometimes have business with some merchants there and having a normal human face handling the business with them would be beneficial for me.” 

I gave it a thought and then lifted my right hand at him. 

”Deal.” 

His black eyes followed mine when he took my hand. His hand was bigger than mine, and felt warm, even with the unnaturally rough skin. 

”It's a deal, then. Go see if Fahrenheit has more clothes for you. After that we'll head out to one of the storage houses so we can start right away, if you're feeling well enough.” 

He let go of my hand and I took my leave to search for Fahrenheit. I did turn my head at the door and found him looking after me. I smiled and nodded at him before disappearing to the hallway. 

…

Hancock watched the door closing and after it was fully shut, he took off his trident hat and while placing it on his desk he grabbed a new cigar with his another hand. He lit it, drew a deep breath and looked outside the window. 

” _Shit_ ”, he hissed between his teeth, but he noticed that his irritation from earlier was gone. He was actually rather enjoying himself.


End file.
